Mr. Bijoy Writes

In the first installment of this year's gift guide, I present to you cigars. The past three years of gift guides have had a cigar guide, so I thought his would be the best place to start! So here are my choices for cigars that would make great gifts for the cigar smoker on your Christmas list - Winston Churchill No. 10 - A Davidoff cigar with a great, earthy profile. A great addition to any humidor Davidoff 100 Years Geneva - A carry-over from last year's list, I can't do justice in explaining this complex cigar. It's great. Bolivar Royal Corona - Spicy and splendid with the right amount of power. This is the cigar I like to gift most often. It speaks to most of the cigar smokers in my life.  La Flor Dominicana Air Bender Chisel - Bold, strong, beautiful. I love this smoke. If you have a cigar smoker in your life that appreciates cigars with a little heft, this is a great choice! Camacho Diploma- Another great smoke for the cigar smoker who appreciates a heartier...

If you've been following along here, you know that I have mild love-affair with cigars. Ok, it's more than a "mild" love-affair. I love those sticks of fermented tobacco. Now, among my circle of friends, I'm the guy everyone goes to when they need a cigar suggestion for their dads, brothers, cousins, bosses, crushes, etc. In light of this, this year I'm writing a separate, cigar-based gift guide for all of those who may need such help. My "rare" suggestions: Fonseca CXX - A great mix of spicy and smooth with a nutty finish. Get the Corona size. Davidoff 100 Years Geneva - I can't do justice in explaining this complex cigar. It's great. My general suggestions: Rocky Patel Zen - A really smooth, almost creamy cigar. A great price-point here as well. Le Bijou 1922 Box Pressed Torpedo - Just make sure to get the torpedo here. Worth it. Hammer & Sickle Moscow City - It's a bitch to keep lit, but it's tasty. My loves: Arturo Fuente Hemi...

I slipped a leaf from the very dead pepper plant on my porch into my book as a makeshift bookmark. Now, just watching the ribbon of smoke loft from my cigar, I am reminded of what got me into the world of fermented, cured, and rolled tobacco. I've spent some time working in cigar shops, pairing whiskey and rum with cigars. I've been to an IPCPR show, learning more about the business end than I had ever really cared to know. I've written to senators and congressmen about cigar-based legislation, taking what may have been my first real political stand on anything. So as I sit here, I think about that first cigar. It was a chilly April morning years ago as I sat with my friend behind the coffee shop we used to frequent. He pulled two cigars from his topcoat with this grin that can only really be explained as pure bliss. He handed me this short cigar (Arturo Fuente Short Story, for those wondering) and handed me a punch cutter. I messed that cut up, somehow. Don't ask, I do...